A record number of British 18-year-olds are heading to university this year, while demand from non-EU and Chinese students has also risen, according to accommodation giant Unite.
The Bristol-headquartered organisation said 94% of rooms had been sold for the 2025/26 academic year - up from 90% mid-August - as it targets occupancy rates of at least 97%. Sales to international and post-grad students are expected to continue throughout September, it added.
Unite, which announced last month it had struck a deal worth more than £700m to snap up rival Empiric Student Property, said its sales to date had supported rental growth of 4-5%.
Undergraduate acceptances for the 2025/26 academic year are 3% higher year-on-year. Higher tariff universities, to which Unite aligns its portfolio, have continued to capture a growing share of undergraduate demand with acceptances up 8% year-on-year.
Acceptances from non-EU international students are up 5% year-on-year, with particularly strong growth from China (+16% year-on-year).
In late August, Unite completed the disposal of a portfolio of nine properties for £212m to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds. It received a share of £140m from the deal.
The properties were treated as held for sale in Unite's balance sheet as at 30 June 2025. The proceeds from the disposal will be recycled into investment activity in Unite's strongest markets, it said.
In July, Unite reported growing demand for its accommodation across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ as university applications continued to pick up.
Following the Empiric acquisition, Unite's enlarged portfolio will reach £10.5bn, and include roughly 75,000 beds.
